Bruce Handel has a clear vision of how e-government can best move forward.
“More and more of our work involves establishing partnerships with other government departments, levels of government and the private sector,” said the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency’s (CCRA) director general of business intelligence, decision support and government online. “Strong, trusting partnerships are essential as we move ahead with e-government.”
Handel’s role in advancing e-government has revolved in part around the federal government’s Secure Channel. In fact, Handel said, he is proud that CCRA was the first agency to introduce a citizen-facing service to Canadians over the government’s Secure Channel.
“It’s an online change of address service,” Handel said. “It’s just the tip of the iceberg with respect to secure service delivery offering the promise of many more client-focused services.”
When it comes to the challenges he faces in implementing new services, Handel says two immediately come to mind.
“Integration of new technologies and the development of a comprehensive self-service architecture is one preoccupation,” he said. “The second centres on the implementation of a framework to enhance the client experience.
“Simply making services available online is insufficient. The manner in which they are offered to Canadians must be made more intuitive and easy to use.”